The Truth is a Terrible Thing
by Adventure-Seeking-Juliet
Summary: Once again Belle was shedding light on the darkness of the beast. This time he wasn't asking her to leave. She was choosing to go. Belle reached up and let her mouth touch his, a light and unfinished kiss. A promise.


**The Truth is a Terrible Thing**

Written by: Adventure-Seeking-Juliet

When: Listening to Laura Marling.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. Rumbelle. Or any other OUAT happening alluded to in this story.

A/N Once again Belle was shedding light on the darkness of the beast. This time he wasn't asking her to leave. She was choosing to go. Belle reached up and let her mouth touch his, a light and unfinished kiss. A promise_. Please review?_

* * *

In the weeks following the return of magic, Belle found herself holding her tongue more often than she liked.

She had been trying, _desperately,_ to remain supportive for Rumpelstiltskin. Belle realized that he had to have_ real_ reasons for bringing magic back to the land.

But...the problem was no longer the magic. Magic gave him power...which corrupted him, but it was impossible to ignore the other signs of his obsessiveness.

Belle heard him muttering to himself at all times of night, and would wake to see him studying maps and spinning the globe... _looking for something._

No matter how she asked him, Rumpelstiltskin never told her what he was looking for. He never told her why it was so important to him.

Belle was far from selfish, but after being trapped in a cell for thirty years, her patience was starting to wear thin.

_As long as he needed magic, he would not kiss her._

And even if Belle could force him, she was adamant that a forced love would be worse than no love at all...

So it was those thoughts, Belle left her comfortable bed in the middle of the night to finally confront her true love, the deal maker, _Rumpelstiltskin._

* * *

Belle padded into the pitch black room, following the sounds of Rumpelstiltskin's muttered curses and rambling words.

She slid across the wall, searching for the light switch, but he had already heard her.

"What _are_ you doing?" He asked. His voice jumped up an octave, and Belle was seized by Deja vu- once again Belle was shedding light on the darkness of the beast.

Her hand snagged the switch just in time, and the room was flooded with light.

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes, blinking against the unnatural brightness, but he remained silent, awaiting an explanation.

"I need to talk to you."

If Rumpelstiltskin was alarmed by the seriousness of her tone, he didn't show it.

"Then by all means,_ talk away_, dearie."

Belle tensed at the sound of his voice. He wasn't angry, but he _was_ annoyed.

"Why are you obsessing over maps? Why won't you tell me why magic is so important? What are you looking for?" Belle hadn't meant to bombard him with questions all at once, but her own annoyance was getting the best of her.

"_That_," he trilled, pointing a finger into her face," is none of your concern."

"_None of my concern_? I'm your true love, I think I deserve the right to know why you won't even _kiss_ me."

He jumped to his feet, causing his chair to crash against the wall," You don't understand! You cannot comprehend _any of this_, of what I have to do!"

Belle stood her ground," I would, if you would just tell me!"

She reached out a hand to touch his face, but he swatted it away," No. _That's not it._ You want to know my weaknesses. You want to destroy the beast, _just like before_."

Belle took a step back," Listen to yourself! I would never destroy you, Rumpelstiltskin. _I love you,_ don't you understand that?"

He turned away from her," You don't love me."

His voice was only a whisper, but Belle could plainly hear the accusations in his words.

Her throat tightened and her vision blurred.

"_After all of this time...after everything that has happened. You think that I don't love you?_" Her voice shook terribly, but Belle knew that if she didn't say something she would cry.

And she didn't want her last seconds with him to be filled with tears. She would remain strong, just as she always did.

"What is it you want from me, Belle?"

"All I want is the truth," Belle moved closer to him, running her fingers along his back," I just want to understand you."

"I cannot give you what you want," Rumpelstiltskin replied, his voice cold.

Belle took a breath, then moved away from him," Then I cannot give you what you want."

He shook his head, and turned back to face her," _All I want is your love._ Your acceptance of who I am."

There were tears in his eyes.

Belle took one last step toward him, and he closed the distance, until they were so close they could feel the other's breath on their skin.

"You want me to sacrifice what I believe is right... for our love, but you won't sacrifice anything for me. All I am asking for is the truth._ Please_?"

He shook his head, taking her hands in his," _I can't._ I've spent twenty-eight years trapped in a magicless world so that I can find what it is I'm looking for. I can't risk losing that now."

"I spent thirty years locked in a cell, I spent two of those years being un-mercilessly tortured for information concerning _you, _but I never gave the Queen anything. I have spent all of that time..._missing you. And you-" _Her voice broke, and he held her closer. _Tighter. Like they had all the time in the world._

"I love you," he said.

" I can't stay. _I don't want to be trapped_ any longer, and make no mistake, this time I won't come walking back into your life. If you ever decide to tell the truth...I hope you can find me, I want nothing more than to help you look for whatever it is you've lost."

He released her from his arms, but said nothing.

Belle could here the unspoken word..._Go. Go. Go. Go. _This time he wasn't asking her to leave. She was choosing to go.

" I will always love you," Belle reached up and let her mouth touch his, a light and unfinished kiss.

Then she left, turning the light off on her way out.

* * *

Belle packed her things quickly, not wanting to be slowed down.

She was worried that if she didn't leave soon, she never would.

Belle had to do what was right. _If it was meant to be, it would find a way, right?_

She packed all of her clothes, her favorite books, her make-up, her shoes...all things he had bought for her.

"What am I _doing_?" She was crying...sobbing, so loud that she knew he could hear her from the other room, but she couldn't stop.

She had to be strong.

By the time she had stopped crying, everything was packed...and it was till dark outside.

She only had one last thing to fit in her bag.

_Rumpelstiltskin's dagger. _She figured that he didn't know she had it.

She had found it a week ago, hidden away in the house. Belle slipped it into her bag, smiling sadly.

_At least this way, she could be sure they would meet again._

* * *

A/N Well, I think I've finally destroyed the demonic Writer's Block that took up residence on my shoulder...so hopefully there will be more Rumbelle soon. I have much I need to catch up on, I'm sure. Please, review?


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